Free space optical interconnect systems have been proposed to meet ever increasing demands for additional bandwidth for data communication between electrical data processing units. These types of optical interconnect systems utilize point-to-point communications through free-space and therefore do not require the routing of cables or fibers between different locations. In a typical free space optical interconnect system, a modulated beam of light is directed through free space from a transmitter on a first optical device chip to a receiver on a second optical device chip. Data or information is encoded into the beam of light by means of the modulation. The receiver demodulates the modulated beam of light and extracts the corresponding data and information.
Free space optical interconnect systems have long been known to deliver fast, highly parallel data transfer and therefore have the potential to enable throughputs at rates much greater than are available with electrical interconnects. In addition, optically modulated signals are not affected by electromagnetic interference and can interpenetrate each other spatially without interfering with each other.
One drawback to the use of free space optical interconnect systems is that mechanically coupling the optical interconnect systems over free space so that they maintain precise alignment with one another has proven to be relatively difficult. This is because vibrations and temperature fluctuations frequently cause the optical interconnect systems to become misaligned in most systems. The use of additional structural support to substantially prevent relative movement between the optical interconnect systems is typically not a viable solution because the additional mechanical elements tend to substantially restrict airflow to the optical interconnect systems to adequately cool the optoelectronic chips. Without adequate cooling, their performance typically deteriorates. However, increased airflow over the optical interconnect systems also causes vibrations and variations in air density between the optical interconnect systems, which also deteriorate their performance.
It would therefore be beneficial to have the ability to maintain the components of free space optical interconnect systems in substantially precise alignment while maintaining them at or near desired operating temperature levels.